Online+Assignment

Small Group Discussion Board**
 * ENG241 Online Assignment


 * Assignment Goal**: Analysis of a Native American creation myth.


 * Task**: Discuss “Woman Who Fell from the Sky” (p625) among a small group of peers.

You will be assigned to a small group with 4-5 of your peers.
 * Process**: Enter the Discussion Board (under the “Communication” button).

You must complete the following participation to receive full credit for this assignment:

1. New Message Post: Using one of the questions, create a New Message and post your answer. Once the question has been chosen, it cannot be selected by another member of the group for their New Message post. You may have questions left over for your group, which is fine. The more ambitious among you may want to go ahead and use them all up.

2. Reply Posts: Provide a substantive reply to at least two different posts from your peers.

3. No Ignored New Messages Allowed: Each original post that is posted by the due date must have at least one reply for the group to receive full credit. Any post that goes without a reply will cost the entire group half the points for this assignment. Late New Message posts may still be used for reply for credit.

New Message 5 points Two Replies 5 points Total 10 points
 * Grading**: You will be graded on meeting deadlines and the quality* of your work:

1. Create your New Message no later than midnight, Thursday February 12, 2009. Late posts will receive ½ credit, with no post being accepted after the reply deadline (see #2). 2. Reply no later than the start time of class on Tuesday, February 17, 2009. No late replies accepted for credit.
 * Deadlines**:


 * I strongly recommend you compose your posts in whatever word processing program you use and save just as you would your regular journals. This will help with revising the work, using spell check, and having a back-up copy if anything should not function correctly in Educator or should you lose connectivity while working in Educator. Composing on a temporary web page can be problematic. Knowing this, and having been advised, there will be no exceptions for late or missing work due to computer errors that could have been avoided.


 * The Woman Who Fell From the Sky**

1. In the context of this particular culture, why is it that the female divinities create the earth and plant life, while the male divinities create animal life? To what extent do these symbolic representations still exist today, if at all?

2. Why is there an Evil Twin as well as a Good Twin? Why are Good and Evil twins?

3. What is significant about the fact that Good Twin kills Evil Twin? Remember the Enuma elish - why kill the Evil twin, why not just let him go? What does this reveal about how the Iroquois viewed life and the afterlife?

4. Pourquoi (pour-kwah) myths are stories that explain how or why something came to be, usually in nature. Identify as many of the pourquoi elements as you can find in this myth and what it is they help to explain.

5. Good Twin engages in an act of trickery when he agrees to the race with his brother. How does he trick his brother? Do you think this takes away from his "good" qualities? Explain why or why not.

6. In the second chapter of her book, Armstrong discusses people's relationship with their sky gods. What connections can you find in this myth with her analysis?